


Affinity

by negaii



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Bisexuality, Crushes, F/M, Femslash, First Love, Fluff and Smut, Friendship, Genderbending, Genderswap, Getting Back Together, Getting Together, Het, Lesbian Character, M/M, Magic, Magical Accidents, Magical Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-05
Updated: 2016-07-05
Packaged: 2018-07-21 16:07:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7394281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/negaii/pseuds/negaii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a magical accident, Jun is forced to go on leave for the next three months to teach at the Blue Mage Academy and to “take it easy.” Oh, and she is now a “he.” It can’t get any worse than that… right? (Yes it does). Jun meets her first love again, almost a decade later, and she finds that she isn't over the other woman as much as she thinks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Affinity

**Author's Note:**

> I was a little hesitant in posting this fic because it’s… well… genderbend. But there’s not enough genderbend in this fandom and I, for one, LOVE genderbend fics. So why not write a genderbend fantasy AU of my OTP? So this is the product. This borrows a few elements from Harry Potter, but it’s not a Harry Potter AU at all. No one uses wands in this. I would like to thank my beta, Rina, for putting up with my shit, and everyone else who has put up with my rants and whining about this fic. ♥︎

“Jun, status report.”

“Clear. Waiting to move.”

Jun takes her fingers off from her temples and quickly cuts off the magical connection. She crouches down to the floor and checks to make sure her magic reserves are full. Then she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath to calm her nerves.

They’ve been watching the manor for the past three days, keeping a close eye on the mages that come and go. There have been reports by the blue mages that the manor is running an illegal trading ring for dragon eggs. Jun had been furious when she found out about it. Don't they know that dragon eggs are extremely volatile and dangerous? Plus, it’s also illegal to own a dragon without registering with the Magical Creatures and Demons Bureau of the Japanese Mages Association.

 _We’re all going to be burned to crisp if this trading ring takes off_ she thinks to herself in annoyance. It’s not the hardest case the team has taken on, but Jun knows to never underestimate the dangers that may happen in the field. Expect the unexpected. She opens her eyes and a sudden gust of wind blows by her. Jun looks up.

Sakurai “Sho” Shoko is standing there in her full black mage captain attire. Sho hardly does fieldwork nowadays, being constantly swamped with paperwork that she has to do (much to her chagrin), but Jun has managed to convince her captain to take a break once in awhile to join the rest of the team on the field.

Sho has forgone the cloak she always wears at the force’s headquarters, instead opting for a skintight black bodysuit made of the finest dragon leather. _Which is fitting for our assignment. Who knows if there’s baby dragons in there_. She’s wearing knee-high boots, and her hair is cropped into a neat bun. Like Jun, Sho piles her makeup on when she’s in the field, emphasizing her big eyes with heavy eyeshadow and eyeliner.

  
On her right arm is her weapon, a glove that wraps around her forearm like ivy thorns which enhances her magical power, while adding to her physical strength immensely when she chooses to release a small burst of her magic when she punches something--that trick can break boulders and Jun would hate to be on the receiving end of that punch. It had been a handmade present from her girlfriend, Ohno Satoko, a sweet woman who always looks like she's falling asleep. Jun knows that if Sho took off her top now, a red tattoo in the shape of a koi fish is imprinted on her arm. Red is her captain’s colour, and the koi fish is related to Satoko’s love for fishing. Jun finds that both sweet and cheesy.

Jun is wearing something similar to her captain. She has on a skintight dragon leather bodysuit herself, fire-repellant gloves, and knee-high boots. Instead of a neat bun like Sho’s, Jun has her hair in a mermaid braid that falls past her shoulders tied with a purple ribbon. On her hipbone is a purple tattoo of a rose with thorns to symbolize her membership with the black mages. Sho looks down at her and meets her eyes.

“We’ll move right when the front door opens,” Sho says as she slowly crouches down next to Jun. She has her fingers placed beside her temples, indicating that she’s notifying the other team members through the shared magical link. Jun purses her lips and nods. “We have to move fast though. We need to give an element of surprise. The sellers are very wary of the blue mages’ presence already, especially since the media is reporting about the possibility of their trading ring happening. They’re taking extra precautions.” Sho nods towards the amount of guards around the manor. They’re all wearing green capes to indicate their positions as the hired muscle. “Of course, they probably have an inkling that the black mages are probably keeping an eye on them too.” They watch the guards scour the grounds, their capes billowing behind them.

Jun has always wondered why mages wore capes for fighting. It’s so easy to get caught be the enemy if one has a huge piece of fabric blowing behind them. When Sho had taken on the position as her captain a few years ago, she had banned the cloak for field missions.

 _“Your goal is to make sure that the mission is complete with your body intact. A cloak does nothing but put you in harm’s way_ ,” she had said.

Jun agrees with the ban wholeheartedly. She has always hated the bureau-issued cape during her fieldwork, the stupid thing always getting caught in trees or door handles when she’s running. She had gone on quite a few missions without wearing it during her earlier days in the department, and always got in trouble by the higher ups for it. She’s so grateful that Sho is her captain now, and that the other woman shares the exact same sentiments about the stupid thing. The higher ups may not agree with it, since the black cape is a symbol of their elite status as part of the black mages, but they can't say anything since Jun’s team is the best of the best.

The black mages are composed of four teams of the most talented and skilled mages in physical and magical combat. As part of the Defence Bureau, the black mages often take over the cases that the regular blue mages (who are amazing in their own right) have no capability of handling. The identity of the black mages are also kept a secret to ensure that their secrecy and privacy. Only the higher ups of the Ministry have knowledge of the members. To identify themselves as black mages amongst each other, each black mage member have their own special tattoo. While most black mages stick to one team for the rest of their career, some black mages choose to switch between the four different teams that exist. Jun has been with Sho since the other woman had taken over the role of captain for Akatsuki. That had been four years ago. Before that, Jun and Sho had stuck together, rotating through different teams every few years before settling in Akatsuki.

To the general public, the black mages are a ruthless elite team of mages that take on dangerous missions that the regular crime fighting blue mages can’t. Not much is known about them, nor are they confirmed to _actually_ exist, but there are plenty of rumours about them in the magical community for many to believe that the black mages do exist in some shape and form. The cases that the black mages take on are dangerous, mostly dealing with dark wizards and otherworldly creatures. Despite the brutality and harsh nature of the work, Jun is proud to be part of such an amazing department and team.

“How are the others?” Jun asks as she moves over for Sho to crouch down beside her. Her captain nods.

“In position. All we have to do now is to wait.”

Jun grunts in acknowledgement and settles down, making sure her weapon and magic is at ready. Unlike other battle mages, Jun prefers long-distance weapons like bows and arrows or guns infused with magic bullets. She has never been the close-range fighter like Sho, preferring to stay farther away to fight with her opponents.

The two of them watch the front entrance. Jun closes her eyes and tries to feel for her fellow members in the area by casting a tracking spell she had developed with Sho. The spell had been an idea Jun had proposed to help keep the members’ presences together. After three months of numerous trial and error, they finally got the spell to work correctly. Whispering quietly to herself, “ _Track members_ ,” as she immediately imagines her faces in her head for the spell to work. She detects two heat signatures on the far right of them, two others behind them, and two on the left. Good, everyone is in place she thinks as she bites her lips. She turns back to watching the entrance with her captain.

When the front door to the manor opens, Jun immediately springs into action. She jumps from her hiding place in the trees towards the ground, and immediately sprints towards the entrance in a blur. She can hear the rest of her team members behind her, A flash of light appears at the corner of her eye and she quickly dodges a spell thrown her way, the spell bursting into flames behind her as it misses its target,

“Dangerous,” she says, frowning at the heat of the spell before twisting on the spot and apparates to the front door. Appearing at the front door with a poof, she immediately takes out her guns, kicks the door open, and begins shooting her way inside. The three people that she aims at are hit with stunning spells: they're immobilized immediately. She snorts at the stunned dark mages with their surprised outraged expressions and open mouths. “What a picture you make, gentlemen,” she remarks amusedly.

“Careful! We don’t want the eggs to break!” Sho shouts to her team as she appears behind her, her hair not a touch out of place even though she just took down five guards on her own. Her gloved hand is glowing, the magic swirling around it, and Jun can feel the pressure in the air as Sho continues to pour more magic into the glove.

Jun shouts an affirmative as she makes her way through the guards. At the corner of her eye, she sees her fellow team member, Kou, blasting a few dark mages off their feet with the _Hanabi_ spell, their green capes flying all over the place as his magic sparks in front of them in tiny explosions similar to fireworks. That has always been one of Jun’s favourite spells when she wants to get flashy.

Shuuka is already rounding up a few of the customers with a magical rope they use for arresting dark mages, strung purely by magic. As long as the caster is alive and well, the string can't be broken. She's in charge of arresting the people involved, her binding spell being the strongest in the group. The rest of the team are dealing with the hired muscle outside. Jun can hear Kei and Naoki’s spellwork outside as their voices grow in volume as their chants get faster.

Jun searches the rest of the house with Sho and Kou since the three of them are the best at immobilizing the enemies with the least amount of destruction to the place. She can hear her friend, Tomoko’s, excited shouts at the discovery of the dragon eggs and Eric’s scolding for her to be careful.

Jun searches the room. Everything looks normal and nothing out of place. “Looks like we got most of them,” she mutters quietly to herself as she lowers her weapon. There are only a few people in the manor, and Jun is thankful. Sighing in relief, she brushes a stray hair from her face. Putting her guns back in the holster, she examines the room. Her teammates are busy bustling around her, wrapping up the mission. _Too easy_ she thinks as she watches Sho bark orders at the others. There are four customers and three sellers left, the others being dropped off at the Bureau by her teammates. Not a high number as they had hoped, but capturing the sellers is their goal. Suddenly, she spots something moving near the fireplace.

Walking over to it slowly, she notices that it’s actually a dragon. A baby dragon. “Guys!” She calls, not taking her eyes off the being, it’s long and tiny body wrapped around itself in a protective cocoon. It's skin is light blue and it has two small whiskers at its mouth. “There’s a baby dragon here!” It’s a cute thing. _It’s probably not more than a few weeks old_ Jun thinks as she crouches down to get a closer look at it, but still keeping her distance. Tomoko comes to crouch beside her.

“It’s so cute!” Tomoko coos as she watches the dragon look at them both warily with its emerald eyes.

“If you had one, your house would burn down in a few hours,” Shuuka says mid-spell with a snort as she glares at the bound dark mages sitting near her feet. She’s casting a silencing spell on them, weaving her fingers through the air and chanting quietly. They’re shouting at her, but no sounds are coming out.

“I want one!” Tomoko exclaims, ignoring Shuuka and moves closer. Jun looks at her in alarm and grabs her friend by the arm.  
“Tomoko-chan, what are you doing?!” Jun hisses as the dragon is now uncoiling itself. Tomoko brushes her hand off.

“I just want to see it! What harm can it do?”

Jun looks at her captain, but Sho is still busy giving directions to the other team members who have just stepped inside the manor to notice what they're doing at the other end of the room. She furrows her brow and purses her lips.

“Tomoko-chan, I don't think that's a good idea…”

“Don't worry too much, Jun-chan. Baby dragons aren't as violent as you think!” Jun frowns.

“But they're still dragons. They still breathe fire.” Like, hello? _Dragons_.

“Not this one!” Tomoko exclaims. “This is a special one! This dragon is _magical_ ,” she says dreamily, “it's the species that breathes magical dragon fire! It’s the cobalt dragon!”

 _What's the difference_ is what Jun wants to ask her but refrains from saying anything more. Still, she has to make sure the other woman doesn't do anything stupid like get herself burned by dragon fire. She watches as Tomoko creeps closer to the tiny creature, holding her hand out, and trying to make herself look as harmless as possible. The dragon stares at her.

“Alright you guys, time to go!” Sho booms from the other side of the room. “We need to get back to the Ministry!”

The sudden order from Sho seems to set it off. Jun freezes as she sees the dragon tense up before pulling itself up straight and opening its mouth. Jun recognizes the signs immediately: it's going to breath dragon fire.

“Tomoko-chan!” She shouts and runs over to her teammate, pushing her away. Tomoko gasps and loses her footing, falling onto the table behind her. The dragon growls and releases a wave of magic at Jun. Jun immediately throws up a shield. Suddenly all she sees is white light surrounding her vision, and she has to close her eyes to protect herself from being blinded by it. The last thing Jun hears is shouts and cries from her teammates, and then… nothing.

 

When Jun comes to, she's lying in the infirmary of the black mages. Kuroki Meisa, one of the medic mages, suddenly appears in her vision and clucks her tongue at her.

“What are you clucking at?” Jun grumbles and tries to blink away the sleep from her eyes. She groans. Her side is absolutely killing her. “What happened?”

“Welcome back to the land of the living, Matsumoto.” Meisa is writing something on her clipboard rapidly. After a short while, she puts the pen away and raises a hand above her, chanting a simple scanning spell. Jun’s body glows a light blue colour before the light disappears. “You seem to be okay, except for the burns.”

“I feel awful.” Jun groans and tries to move on her side, but the pain is so intense that she can’t even move. Meisa shakes her head and picks up a vial of orange liquid.

“Don’t. You came in contact with dragon fire, and most of it came in contact with your legs. You’re lucky it didn’t hit your face or chest.” She brings the vial closer to Jun’s lips. “I’m giving you some pain-killing potion. Open up.”

Jun readily complies, willing to do almost anything to get rid of the stinging pain on her legs. When she swallows the last remaining drop, she feels the effects of the potion immediately. The pain has now disappeared, and Jun immediately stretches her limbs, and she brings her hand up to scratch at her chest. Her flat… wait.

Jun blinks and looks down. She hears Meisa fall silent beside her as Jun gawks at her chest in shock. She slowly brings her hands up to her chest, to where her _breasts_ are supposed to be and lays them flat on her chest. Flat. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before pulling the covers up, bringing her hand down between her crotch and feels.

She has a dick.

She has a dick.

She has a dick?!

“What the fuck?!” Jun hollers as she stares down at her crotch in horror.

“Uh, yeah… that was the other thing…” Meisa says nervously. Jun snaps her gaze to Meisa, panic building in her. “You… you’re a man now.”

“I can see that!” Jun shrieks as she stares at her new _penis_ in horror. “What… what happened?!”

Meisa clears her throat. “We’re not quite sure...”

Jun stares at her in disbelief, and then she looks back to her crotch. It couldn’t get any worse, could it?!

 

“You can’t do this!”

“I can, and I will.”

Jun glares at Sho as the other woman looks back at her in exasperation.

“Are you implying I'm incompetent ?!” Jun shouts in disbelief, anger colouring her voice.

It's been three days since the mission, and while Jun is getting better, the burns she received from the baby dragon are still incredibly painful. Despite Tomoko’s protests, Jun did in fact get hit by dragon fire, and it was infused with the most potent type of raw magic. Dragon fire burns take only a month to heal due to their magical properties, but the cobalt dragon’s dragon’s fire takes _three months_! Jun is constantly feeling throbbing pain on her legs most of the time when the potions wear off. The fact that she's not allowed to have the pain-killing potion more than once a day makes the entire healing process terrible since the potions can be very addictive.

That, and the sex change. Which is kind of awful. Jun wants to blow everything in close vicinity up because of it. Her hands are bigger; her voice is deeper, but still retains that nasal tone that she hates so much; her shoulders are wider; she's just a little taller than her usual 5’6”(now towering at 5’8”); and she has a penis. She has a _penis_. She doesn't know what can be worse than that. Tomoko believes that the change had happened because Jun had managed to throw up a shield spell up in the very last minute, her magic interacting with the dragon’s magic fire, creating a reaction. Jun doesn't know if that's true or not, but she rather be alive than dead.

Jun refuses to acknowledge that she’s a man now. She’s still a woman, and she will continue to see herself as one, no matter what biology says. _Over my dead body_ she thinks to herself angrily.

Sho sighs and rubs her temples. Her desk is a mess with papers strewn all over. Jun really wonders how the woman finds stuff she needs. Shoko, the captain of Akatsuki, one of the best black mages unit, is incredibly messy and disorganized.

As the leader of Akatsuki, Sho possess a great amount of power and influence in the Ministry. When she had been appointed the role by the previous captain, there had been a lot of protests in regards to the appointment by the higher ups and other teams. Most of it had to do with the fact that Sho is a woman and that she only got into the special forces because of her family background.

Jun knows Sho deserves it. Being a woman herself, Jun knows how hard it is to prove your worth in an occupation where men dominate majority of the positions. Most of the women that enter the Defence Bureau often occupy the desk jobs, very few choosing to do active duty for more than a few years. There are several women in the blue mages force, much more than before, but it is still primarily a male-dominated field.

Sho had insisted that everyone called her “Sho” in the Defence Bureau so that people don't disrespect her status as a captain because she's a woman. Jun is the only member of the team that still calls her Shoko though, the two of them being very close friends ever since their days in the Blue Mage Academy and then solidifying the bond in the black mage training after. Jun is quite grateful herself that her name is unisex. She knows that she would also receive the same amount of bullshit and scorn that Sho receives if others know of her real gender.

So far it's working, and while it has caused some confusion for the very few people who ever get to encounter or meet with Sho as the Akatsuki captain--because they think “Sakurai Sho” is a man--the older woman is a force to be reckon with. She is a beast in the field with her magical prowess, and a tough woman to deal with in the office. A lot of people have underestimated her due to her gender, but Sho isn't a Sakurai for nothing. The Sakurai is an incredibly prominent family in the community, many members being in high positions in the Ministry.

Sho leads Akatsuki with an iron fist, taking shit from nobody. She runs the team on her rules and only her rules, and she disregards the opinions of the higher ups most of the time (something that has always amused Jun). Jun is proud to serve under her. And she knows that the rest of the team (two other women and four other men) share the same sentiments. Even if they’re part of the Defence Bureau, Akatsuki operates independently under the sole orders of the captain. Sho is the first woman to hold that title since the conception of the black mages.

Therefore Jun finds it incredibly amusing that Sho may be a master in the field, but the woman can’t keep her desk in order to save her life. Except she’s not amused right now.

“Jun, you're still healing from your injuries. I can't send you back in the field like this. It'd be suicide,” Sho says sternly.

“A few burns won't kill me, Shoko. I've had worse.”

Sho sends her a look. “Yes, but you've also never turned into a man. This is my final order. You're not taking on any missions for the next three months until you're fully healed. If you're not a woman by then, I'll let you come back regardless. You're still the same, no?”

Jun growls, and she hates how deep her voice sounds. “If you mean my magic, yes. Everything is the same except that I now have a dick.”

Sho nods, trying her hardest not to laugh at Jun’s despair and leans back against her chair. “Fear not, I've already assigned you a mission for your leave. Since I know you can't actually sit still and heal your injuries, I've asked Satoko-chan for help.”

Jun frowns and looks at her friend in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Sho smiles and opens a drawer beside her. She takes out an envelope and places it between them. On the folder, _Blue Mages Academy_ is written in blue kanji. “Congrats! You're now a full-time instructor at the Blue Mages Academy!”

“You… what?” Jun gawks at the envelope in front of her. Sho grins and pats the envelope.

“Luckily for you, the new school term is about to start, even if it is in the middle of the year, and the academy needed an instructor for one of the combat classes. I got Satoko-chan to sign you up for it.” Jun glares at her friend.

“You can’t do this! I don’t agree!” She protests as she grabs the envelope and rips it open to look at the contents inside. She pulls out a white piece of paper. It lists the details of her job, her pay, her superior, and the class she’s going to teach. “I don’t want to go to the academy!”

Sho shakes her head. “I’m afraid you have no choice. I’m pulling rank for this, Jun.” Jun gapes at her. She walks up to the other woman (ignoring the stinging pain in her legs), brushing her own cape back behind her and slams her palms down on the desk. The desk shakes at the impact.

“I’m your Vice Captain! You can’t just take me out like that!” She exclaims in astonishment. Sho has hardly ever pulled rank on her; Jun can count on one hand the number of times Sho has done so since taking on position of captain. “What will you do without me here?!”

“Jun, it’s okay. We do have seven other people on the team too, you know? And I’m not going anywhere for a while.” Sho smiles at her. “We’ll be fine. And you need a break. You work too much.”

“Like you’re one to talk,” Jun scoffs and crosses her arms against her chest. Sho smiles sheepishly at her.

“It’s only three months?”

Jun glares at her. “I don’t understand why I have to go on a _leave_. Can’t I keep going on the field like this?”

“Jun, I have no problems with your sex change. But those burns, those are a problem.” Sho looks pointedly at Jun’s legs. “I can’t send you out for active duty if you have those burns. It’s too much.” She shakes her head and stands up from her chair. Making her way around the desk towards Jun, Sho looks up at her friend and gives her a small smile. “It’ll be fine, don’t worry too much. Just enjoy the break.”

Jun scowls and glares at the black fabric of Sho’s cape. “Easy for you to say. You don’t have to deal with those brats.”

Sho chuckles and lightly punches Jun’s arm. “Hey, we were once those brats!”

Jun sighs. “I know, that’s why I’m dreading it.”

 

“I can't believe this,” Jun mutters darkly as she glares at the gates in front of her.

It's been ten years since she last stepped on the grounds. Jun remembers all the hardships, name calling, and taunts from her fellow trainees. During her days at the academy, there were very few women who applied for the fieldwork courses. Jun had to work extra hard to prove she could handle it.

“Now here we go again,” she says with a sigh. She has worked hard to gain her place in the defensive forces, but she still feels the resentment and hurt she experienced when she had been a student. “I hate these damn brats.” She says in annoyance as she walks up the gate. She's supposed to be waiting for Sho’s girlfriend to come and pick her up. Sho had arranged everything beforehand with the older woman, and Satoko had been more than willing to help.

Jun has met and befriended the older woman when she came to visit Sho during her days off from her work. Sho has always asked Satoko to visit her, even if the Sho is swamped in paperwork. The older woman is very amiable, and Jun thinks that the dynamic between her friend and Satoko is very interesting since their personalities are so different.

Sho, despite being one of her dearest friends, can be very uptight. She's a stickler for rules that she makes --even if she does a rebellious streak in her--and keeps a schedule everyday for her tasks and duties. Ohno Satoko seems to be the very opposite of that. Satoko is much more easygoing, calm, and takes things as she goes. Jun has no idea how the two of them have managed to make it work all these years, but she's glad that Sho has someone to go home to.

 _If only my love life is the same_ Jun thinks with a sigh. Her last relationship had been two years ago with a woman named Inoue Mao. The other woman had been a member of the blue mage forces, in the administration side of things. Mao was very much her type; she was strong, independent, a little sassy, and smaller than Jun. They had to break it off though because Mao didn't like the secrecy of Jun’s job. Jun would have to run off for certain assignments during dates sometimes, and while Mao knew that Jun was a black mage, she couldn't date someone who was always leaving in the middle of things, and always having to worry about them. So they called it quits. Jun has never bothered to look for another relationship actively after that.

It's not that Jun doesn't want to find someone, because she does, but it makes things harder when she's a lesbian. A total lesbian. One hundred percent attracted to the same sex. A lesbian who’s mostly around men all the time.

Jun has known of her attraction to women since she was twelve years old. For as long as she can remember, Jun has never held any interest in men, her eyes always going towards women with their pretty eyes, long hair, and soft curves. While her peers had gushed over the strong arms and chiseled abs of men, Jun has always admired the softness of a woman’s breasts and the gentle skin of their hand in hers. Since she’s taller than most women she knows (excluding Shuuka and Tomoko), Jun enjoys wrapping her arms around a smaller female. It gives her comfort that she can be the protective figure. Maybe that's why she loves being in Defence?

Unfortunately, being in Akatsuki makes it hard to find someone who understands her job. Someone who understand the risks and the necessary secrecy that she must keep. “Shoko is so lucky…” Jun mutters to herself.

“Why is Shoko lucky?”

Jun nearly lets out a loud yelp at the sudden voice in her ear. Turning around, Jun sees Sho’s girlfriend. Satoko laughs and bows in apology.

“Oh my god, Ohno-san, I didn’t sense you at all!” Jun exclaims in shock, trying to calm herself. She really hadn’t sense the other woman’s presence. That should alarm her, but since Satoko is dating Sho, Jun isn’t surprised if Sho has taught the other woman a few tricks.

The older woman looks the same as always. She’s dressed in a striped long-sleeved shirt and black dress pants with blue flats. Her light brown hair is splayed behind her back messily. Satoko smiles up at her sheepishly. “Sorry, Matsumoto-chan… or is it Matsumoto-kun now?”

Jun rolls her eyes. “Whatever you like, Ohno-san.”

Satoko shakes her head. “Can I call you Jun-chan? It feels weird to call you Matsumoto, especially since we’ve known each other for a while now. You can call me Satoko-chan if you want.” The older woman sends her a soft smile. Jun shrugs.

“Doesn’t matter to me. I’m fine with anything, Satoko-san.” Jun can’t help but to tack in the _-san_ instead of _-chan_ , not quite comfortable with addressing the other woman so intimately yet. Satoko pouts at the address, but doesn’t push it.

“Great! I’m sorry I was a little late meeting you, I had to help Aiba-chan with something at the dorms,” Satoko says in apology. “And wow… you look…” She stares at her.

“Don’t mention it!” Jun cries in exasperation. Jun is well aware of what she looks like. Her teammates have teased her, saying that she looks incredibly attractive as a man, and maybe she should stay as a man instead? _No fucking way_ Jun thinks angrily. Before she headed for the academy, Jun had made a quick trip to the hair salon for a haircut. She brushes her bangs gently, taking care not to mess up the style. She’s cut it very short, way above her shoulders (like a man’s) with side swept bangs that’s cut in an unconventional manner. Despite having absolutely no interest in the opposite sex, Jun knows she makes quite a good-looking man, if the stares from the women are anything to go by.

“You look really handsome though, Jun-chan,” Satoko compliments sweetly. “You were beautiful as a woman, and now extremely handsome as a man. Though, I do think you’re beautiful as a man too.”

Jun grimaces and picks up her suitcase. She does _not_ want to think about her appearance as a man, thank you very much. “I don’t think so, Satoko-san. I’m not exactly thrilled that I have a dick right now. And I still feel like a woman… despite...” she gestures towards her crotch. “My… man parts.”

Satoko giggles and begins to guide her through the school gates. Jun looks around the grounds. There’s a few changes to the school itself, but for the most part it’s still the same from ten years ago. “Fair enough. Come on then, I’ll show you where your room will be for the semester.”

“Is there a dorm for instructors?” Jun asks as Satoko guides them inside the school. Satoko nods and makes a right, Jun quickly following her from behind.

“Yep, there has been a few changes since you’ve been here last. The students have their own dorms located outside the school grounds. The instructors sleep on school grounds.”

“Why is that?” Satoko shrugs and opens a door with a flick of her hand.

“There’s been a huge influx of students these past few years, and the school isn’t big enough to accommodate them all. So the headmaster had to construct a new building for the students to stay.”

Jun raises an eyebrow at her and follows her down the stairs. “So how many students are there in the academy now?”

They reach a long corridor with several doors on both sides. Satoko stuffs her hand in her pocket and takes out a key that has the number eight written on it.

“This is your room for the--”

“Hey Oh-chan, giving our newcomer a grand tour?” A shockingly familiar nasal voice interrupts from behind. Satoko turns around and waves at the woman who’s slowly making their way up to them. Jun glances behind her and looks at the woman. She's the same height as Satoko and...

Jun freezes when she _recognizes_ the woman.

It's been ten years since they’ve parted ways. The last time Jun saw her, she had walked away from her, thinking that she wouldn't ever meet her again. At the time, Jun had been scouted for the black mages right before graduation. The contract for the training had stated that she could not reveal anything about the existence of the elite defence force to anyone, and that the training would last for three years. Jun had decided to break up with her.

It had been the hardest decision of her life. She hadn't wanted to break up with her at all. But Jun wanted to get into the black mages; she had chosen her career over her love. Now here she is ten years later, standing before her.

Ninomiya Kazue… Jun’s first love.

Kazue smiles and Jun’s eyes are immediately drawn to her moles. Jun will never forget those moles. She remembers kissing them whenever they make love in Kazue’s room, loving the way Kazue would clench her hands around Jun’s arms when she did so. Jun curses and snaps out of her reminiscing as she realizes that she can now sport an erection in public because of the damn penis. Why is being a man so inconvenient?

Kazue sends her a grin and bows in greeting. “My name is Ninomiya Kazue, and you, stranger?”

Jun feels her heart beating faster and stuffs her hands in her pockets, trying to look nonchalant. Even after all these years, Jun is still affected by the other woman. Kazue looks the same, still that youthful feminine appearance, but a lot more confident than when she used to appear as a fresh graduate of the academy. She's still small and slender as always, reaching just past Jun’s shoulders; she has long hair falling down her back in small waves; she's wearing minimal make up, that's emphasizes her eyes (one of the features Jun has always adored about her); and she’s wearing a simple dark yellow t-shirt and black dress pants with white tennis shoes. She looks like an real adult. And she looks _good_. Jun clears her throat.

“Matsumoto… Junnosuke.” Kazue looks at her for a moment and Jun is worried that she actually recognizes her, even if she's a man now. And it’s been _years_ since they’ve seen each other. Jun knows that she has definitely changed a lot (appearance wise) in ten years. While Jun could still continue using her first name, Sho had suggested she chose a more masculine name just to avoid unexpected complications. _Shoko, remind me to buy you a bottle of sake the next time I see you_ Jun says in her mind. Kazue’s inspection seems to pass quickly and she bows again. Jun almost breathes a sigh of relief and returns the bow.

Kazue had been Jun’s first for almost everything. She had not been Jun’s first relationship, but she had been Jun’s first love, the first girlfriend Jun had truly fallen in love with. When Jun made the decision to break up with the smaller woman, Jun had been devastated. It had taken her over two years to finally get over the break up, and sometimes Jun still found herself thinking back to the woman’s gummy smile and small hands at the most unexpected moments. She did regret ending things the way they did, but she doesn’t regret her career. But sometimes she does wonder if she had made the right choice.

“Nice to meet you, Matsumoto-kun! I believe we’re the same age, right?” Kazue asks sweetly. Jun has to refrain herself from yelling, _I'm a woman! I'm not a man! I’m your ex, and I’m still sort of hung up over you… probably?!_ But Jun is a professional. She can act like a sensible and sane woman--err… man around her ex. Sure.

“Are we? I was born in 1983.” Jun says.

Kazue flashes her a grin, and Jun has to refrain herself from wanting to kiss the other woman senseless, even if they haven't seen each other in ten years. Jun has always loved Kazue’s smile; it's bright, and oh so endearing.

“I'm born the same year as you, but in June. You?” Kazue asks. She's moving closer to Jun now, brushing a hair behind her ear and Jun recognizes the signs immediately. _She's flirting with me!_ Jun doesn't know whether or not she wants to cry. Kazue still uses the same flirting techniques, even close to a decade later. The same ones she used on Jun all those years ago.

Unlike Jun, Kazue bats for both teams, a fact that Jun has known since the first time they met. Kazue had been complaining to her friend at the time (a cheerful girl who was always smiling Jun remembers), that she was swearing off men for now, and only dating women. Jun had been eavesdropping of course (and she may or may not have harboured a crush on the other woman already).

“A-A-August,” Jun stammers and berates herself for showing weakness this easily. Kazue giggles and places a hand on Jun’s shoulder. Jun wants to melt on the spot. Her hands are still small, with short fingers and fat palms. When they were dating, Jun had taken every chance she could to hold Kazue’s hands. To feel them again… Jun has to fight down a blush. She hasn’t felt like such a schoolgirl in years. _Like being around a crush_ Jun screams in her mind.

“Oh! You’re younger than me then, Matsumoto-kun,” she says teasingly. Jun glances at Satoko who’s watching the proceedings before her in amusement. The older girl is definitely going to tell her girlfriend about this later. Jun makes a mental note to block all incoming phone calls from Sho for the next three hours.

“Ninomiya-sempai,” She manages to get out, watching the other woman’s hand. Kazue has stepped closer to her, almost pressing herself against Jun’s arm. She slides her hand down to Jun’s elbows. Jun moves her gaze to the other woman’s face. She’s grinning at him, and Jun knows that she knows that Jun is definitely liking the attention. _Shit_.

“Nino is fine. No need to use my full name, Matsumoto-kun,” Kazue says with a wink before stepping away. She turns to Satoko who’s grinning now. “Are you showing Matsumoto-kun his room?” Satoko nods and holds out the key in her hand.

“Yeah, Jun-chan is assigned to room eight.” Kazue’s face brightens up and she turns back to Jun who’s trying her hardest to look unaffected by the shorter woman’s presence. “You’re close to me then, I’m in room six!”

 _God no_ Jun thinks with a soft whimper that she disguises as a cough. Kazue grins at her. “Since you’re so close to me, I can show you to your room! Oh-chan, hand that over!” Jun watches in barely concealed horror as Kazue takes the keys from Satoko’s hand before grabbing Jun’s hand and pulling her down the corridor.

Jun turns back to look at Satoko in desperation, but the older woman is just smiling at them and sends a wave in her direction. “I’ll see you in an hour, Jun-chan!” Satoko calls before walking off in the other direction. Jun glares at the woman’s retreating back. That traitor!

When they reach the front of door eight, Kazue is already unlocking the door and pulling Jun in.

“Well, here you are!” Kazue announces as she enters the room and drops the key on top of an oak desk located next to the windows.

It's a fairly reasonable sized room with a double bed, desk, drawers, and a closet. There's a small bathroom to the left of the room only equipped with a toilet, sink, and a small shower. It looks like a room just for sleeping and working in and not much else. Kazue has moved to sit on her bed and is watching her with a curious expression on her face. Jun drops her suitcase down at the door.

“So, what do you think, Matsumoto-kun?” She asks and crosses her legs. Jun walks to the huge window. Her room has a magnificent view of the lake.

“Not bad. I can't really complain,” she replies. Kazue nods and jumps to her feet.

“Well then, I’ll let you get settled. If you have any questions and concerns, feel free to ask me Matsumoto-kun. We’re coworkers now!” She says before giving him a wink and walking out the room. Jun stares at her retreating back before covering her face with a hand and groans.

This is definitely not going to be an easy three months.

 

For the remainder of the week, Jun gets herself familiar with the school grounds and introduces herself to the other staff members. Kazue is there most of the time, dragging her to different areas of the school and showing her what rooms are what, much to Jun’s hidden delight. Jun likes to think of these as mini dates. The staff members are a good combination of men and women, some that Jun has studied with before.

One of the women is Aiba Masaki, Kazue’s best friend. Cheerful and kind as Jun remembers, the woman is in charge of the female dorms in the student’s residence. She's tall and willowy as ever, but Jun can tell that the friendly woman packs a lot of strength in those limbs. The woman is already telling Jun to visit her often whenever she has the time. Jun thinks she will.

Satoko had been helping her plan her lessons for the upcoming semester. Classes start tomorrow and Jun is assigned to teach Combat and Defence for the first years and fourth years. The fourth years will be graduating at the end of the year, and since Jun is coming to the school mid-year, she needs to know what material had been covered by the previous instructor who had to leave because of a family emergency in Okinawa.

The previous teacher had been a friendly but tough man, according to Satoko, and he had been a lot of fun with the students. The two of them are currently in Jun’s room sitting on top of her bed.

“He teaches well, and a lot of the students respect him,” Satoko says as she watches Jun scribble lesson plans down. _Shield? Offensive spells--close range?_ Jun grimaces at her.

“That means they won't respect me then. He sounds like a tough man.” Satoko frowns but doesn't deny it.

Satoko pats her shoulder. “I'm sure you'll be great Jun-chan. You're a black mage!”

Jun rolls her eyes. “Yeah, but no one knows that.”

“I know that!” Satoko exclaims. Jun laughs.

“That's because you're dating my captain, Satoko-san.”

“But aren't you a vice captain? I think Shoko-chan has mentioned it before.”

Jun nods and drops her pencil on the desk, giving up on the lesson plan for now. “Yeah, I am.”

“Cool!” Satoko says with wide eyes. “I don't really know much about what you guys do, but Shoko-chan has told me some of it.” She moves to lie down on top of the blankets, trying to get comfortable.

Jun leans back against her headboard. “Yeah, we can't really reveal much about our work. The fact that she's told you a bit is quite amazing, Satoko-san.” Especially since Shoko is incredibly tight-lipped about it, even around her family. They know she's the captain of Akatsuki, but not much else.

Jun doesn't reveal much to her family either. Like the Sakurai’s, her family knows what she does but not the details. Truthfully, Jun isn't comfortable revealing details about her job to her family. Her parents know it’s not exactly a desk job, nor is it something that’s safe, but they don’t realize the true extent of how dangerous it can be.

She stretches her arms and stares at her hands. Oh, and they definitely don’t know about the sex change. She has decided to keep them in the dark about this, not wanting to explain why she turned into a man from her job. Jun can hear her older sister’s taunts now; that woman can be ruthless when she wants to be. Satoko scoots closer to her.

“Do you know when the spell will wear off?” She asks quietly, looking into Jun’s eyes. Jun shrugs.

“We don’t know. But Kuroki-sensei and my friend says it’s definitely not permanent. It’s just my magic sort of had a reaction with the dragon fire, which is why I’m like this. They think that I’ll eventually turn back to a woman, just that they don’t know when.” Satoko nods.

“Well, just keep at it, Jun-chan. You know Shoko-chan and I are here for you.” She sends her a soft smile. Jun nods at her.

“Thanks, Satoko-san.”

They lie there in silence like that for a while before Satoko sits up and whirls to face her. Jun looks at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes?”

“So, you and Nino-chan…” Satoko says with a smirk. Jun groans. “You guys are getting along well… _very_ well.”

“Satoko-san, please.”

“I’m surprised, Nino-chan usually doesn’t take to new people right away,” Satoko comments and grins at Jun teasingly.

Jun perks up at that. “Really?”

Satoko nods. “Yeah, the last time she dated was… two? Three years ago? But she mostly has one-night stands than actual relationships.”

Jun frowns at the mention of one-night stands, feeling a twinge of jealously. But she can’t help but feel a burst of happiness at that. Does that mean she likes me? Jun wonders in bafflement. If Kazue hasn’t tried to sleep with her yet...

“So I’m very surprised she started flirting with you right away, and hasn’t hinted at wanting to get into bed with you. It’s been a week.” Jun blinks at Satoko owlishly.

“She moves that fast?”

“Yeah, they generally succumb to her charms in the first three days, and she sleeps with them by the fourth or fifth. It’s been nine days since you’ve met,” Satoko points out. “She must really like you…”

Jun sighs and moves to lie on her back. She doesn’t have the heart to tell her friend that she likes Kazue too, which is probably obvious. Jun stares at her ceiling, lost in her thoughts. How is she going to survive the next three months around her ex-girlfriend? An ex-girlfriend who has no idea that Matsumoto Junnosuke is actually a woman named Matsumoto Jun, and _hello, I’m actually your ex-girlfriend and I still have feelings for you? Want to date me?_

Yeah, she’s fucked.

 

Jun’s first lesson is with the first years, the whole bunch of them unfortunate enough to have their combat classes in the early morning. Jun groans to herself as she makes her way to the gymnasium where most of the combat classes are held. It’s spacious enough for sparring matches and offensive spell practices, while it allows Jun the room to watch several groups at once. She grumbles to herself as she opens the door and walks inside.

Most of them seem to be there already, all of them sitting in groups. _Well, that makes sense, it’s the middle of the school year_ she thinks as she slowly walks to the benches to place her books down, their chatter dying down as they watch her. Straightening her posture, Jun squares her shoulders and walks towards the front of the room, ignoring the throbbing pain in her legs. She glances at the clock above the door noting that there’s still two minutes left before class begins. She looks at the group in front of her.

As expected, majority of her students are men, with a few women here and there (like six women). They look _young_ , fresh out of secondary magic school. Jun remembers being that young once. _I had the worst acne_ she remembers with a frown. It had taken her a few years after secondary school for it to get better. She had to wake up early every morning to apply her foundation and concealer, something Kazue always complained about: _“Why are you awake so early for makeup? Come back and cuddle with me, Jun!”_

As the remaining students rush in, the clock strikes eight A.M. and Jun decides that she might as well get started. She stands with her feet apart, wincing a little at the pain in her legs and clasps her hands behind her, trying to give a strong image to her students. It wouldn’t do if they don’t respect her in the first class.

“Welcome back,” she begins, her voice firm, “as you know, your previous instructor is not here this semester due to a family emergency.” A few heads nod. “My name is Matsumoto Junnosuke, and I will be your instructor for the remainder of the school year. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” She gives a small bow, nothing that a few of them have bowed in return while the rest watches her with wide eyes. Jun gives a small smile before straightening herself again. “I am aware that your previous instructor is Nagase-sensei, correct?”

They nod and Jun notices that some of them are whispering amongst each other. Well, that wouldn’t do. If they’re here to learn than they shouldn’t be talking in class. Jun has never tolerated her fellow students talking back when she was one, and she isn’t going to tolerate it now as an instructor. She sticks her hand out towards the two chatty students and gives her index finger a small twirl. “Maximize,” she says.

“He doesn’t seem like much, Nagase-sensei was much better.” One of the male student’s voice booms throughout the gymnasium.

“Yeah, this Matsumoto-sensei seems weak. I bet Nagase-sensei could take him down within seconds,” The other student’s voice follows after.

They gawk at her when they realized their voices can be heard by everyone. Jun crosses her arms, amused at how pale their faces have gotten. She’s not offended, but she is annoyed that they’re disrupting the class. She releases the spell and turns to face them, putting on her “Vice Captain” face, the one that Shoko says that makes her look like she’s going to rip someone apart for even breathing. Jun doesn’t think she’s that scary looking. Certainly not as scary as Sho when she’s in a fit of anger.

“If you guys are done gossiping about how weak I am, I would like to run a few exercises with you guys to see where your level of education is at. I’m sure Nagase-sensei has taught you well, but his teaching and your skill level are two different things,” Jun says pointedly at them.

They gulp and nod at her frantically. Jun notices that some of the other students are looking at her with newfound respect. She claps her hands together.

“Alright, now get into pairs. We’re going to go through basic spells!” Jun barks and she watches as they get up frantically on their feet and pair off. She smirks. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.

 

When the class draws to a close, the some of the students are panting in exhaustion, sweat visible on their faces. Nagase-sensei has taught them well; they understand the theory and the basics, but a lot of them aren’t able to perform the spells properly for the required skill level. Jun wonders how tough this Nagase-sensei really is. She had asked them for demonstrations of the basics: a shield spell, a silencing spell, and a stunning spell. Most of the students had the shield spell down pat, the silencing spell only half were able to do, and only three students had been able to successfully cast a stunning spell. Jun sighs and realizes that’s what she’s going to have to work on this term with them.

Most of them are in excellent condition though, and Jun realizes that Nagase-sensei has probably worked on their physical endurance first, putting off the magic part for later. Probably for second term Jun thinks as she watches students pile out of the gym. A lot of them had given her an enthusiastic good bye, while others just bowed before dashing out of there. The two students from earlier had been one of those who refused to make eye contact, dashing out of the gym after bowing to her. Jun smirks. They probably had not expected for Jun to ask them to use that much magic on the first day.

As she watches the last of them file out of the room, she spots Kazue standing by the entrance and waving to some of them cheerfully. Jun feels her face heat up. When the last student leaves, Kazue turns in her direction and sends her a grin. Jun tries to mask her flustered expression when the smaller woman makes her way over to here.

“Hi Matsumoto-sensei,” Kazue drawls in greeting as she moves to stand in front of her. She’s wearing her uniform, similar to Jun’s but obviously meant for the female instructors. She’s wearing navy blue blazer with a white dress shirt, a blue bow at the collar, and grey dress pants. To finish the outfit, she’s wearing black leather boots. She looks… really cute. Jun blinks and realizes that she’s staring and Kazue _knows_ she’s staring. “Like what you see?” Kazue asks with a giggle and crosses her arms. Jun blushes and walks over to the benches, trying to relieve pressure off her legs. She still has fifteen minutes until her next class with the fourth years.

Kazue doesn’t give up though, and follows her from behind. “Aww, I was just teasing you, Matsumoto-sensei!” She winks when Jun turns to look at her. “But I don’t mind you looking. I look too,” she says, giving Jun a quick look from top to bottom. Jun gulps and feels her palm getting sweaty. Why is Kazue trying so hard to flirt with her? _It can’t be for a quick fuck_ she muses as she remembers the conversation she had with Satoko a two days ago. If a one-night stand is Kazue’s goal, it may have happened already. But right now, what Kazue is doing is just harmless flirting. She hasn’t exactly hinted she wanted anything sexual… yet. Jun thinks her mind is going to explode if she thinks about sex with Kazue.

Jun clears her throat. “Is there something I can help you with, Ninomiya-sensei?” She hopes Kazue doesn't notice how nervous she’s getting. Kazue sends her a contemplative look before walking closer to her and leans up on her tippy toes, putting a hand on her shoulder for support. Jun flinches as she gets right up in her face and says, “Are you free tomorrow evening?” And this really makes Jun want to kiss her (she’s right there!) because Kazue had always pushed herself into her space when they were dating, and just took whatever she wanted from Jun.

Kazue steps back but she still hasn't removed her hand on Jun’s person. She tilts her head to the side and waits for Jun to answer. Jun doesn't know what to think.

“Uhhh… I’ll probably be looking over my lessons plans… is there something you wanted?” Jun says dumbly, cringing at her inability to keep a calm mind around the other woman. Kazue sends her an exasperated look but it turns into one of determination. _But what is she determined for_ Jun exclaims mentally.

“I don't know whether I should be disappointed or charmed that you're playing hard to get, Matsumoto-kun,” she huffs and releases her hold from Jun to cross her arms across her chest. “I'm asking you on a date, dummy.”

Jun’s mind goes blank. Date? A date? Kazue wanted to go on a date, with her?! Something similar to panic must be showing on Jun’s face because Kazue sends her a look of alarm.

“Woah, woah, hey! If you don't want to it's okay! Though I am confused because I thought you felt the same--”

“No!” Jun shouts before realizing what she just said. “I mean, yes! Yes I will go out with you!” Ugh, kill her now. But Kazue doesn't seem to notice Jun’s internal struggle because she's grinning up at her again.

“Great! Meet me at my room tomorrow at six then?”

“Sure.”

Kazue walks right up to her again and leans up on her tippy toes to Jun’s face and gives her a peck on the cheek. Jun feels her heart lurch as she remembers the countless times Kazue had done the same thing when they were students. Kazue had always liked giving her kisses on the cheek by standing up on her toes to reach Jun. When she moves to step away, Jun knows she's blushing again and she berates herself for it.

She has no idea how she's going to survive the rest of the school year like this before she fucks up somehow.

“I'll take my leave now, Matsumoto-sensei!” Kazue calls as she makes her way towards the door. “Thanks for the help!” She says, blowing her a kiss before opening the gym door. Several students are pouring in already, bowing to her in greeting. Kazue just laughs and greet them back, making small talk with one of the boys. Jun sighs and rubs her forehead. She’s going to have to be careful around Kazue for sure.

“Ah well, at least it makes this place a little more exciting…” Jun muses as she watches the woman go.

**Author's Note:**

> The Akatsuki members are Sakurai Shoko (Sho), Matsumoto Jun, Shibasaki Kou, Sawajiri Eric (Erika), Oguri Shuuka (Shun), Ikuta Tomoko (Toma), Eikura Naoki (Nana), and Kitagawa Kei (Keiko). 
> 
> EDIT: This story is on indefinite hiatus. I don't know if it'll ever be completed. For now, let's assume it's a one shot. :)


End file.
